The Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration, in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, have released the Tier 2 Project Level Environmental Assessment document on the Northern Lights Express Project, a proposed higher speed intercity passenger rail project to provide rail service between Minneapolis and Duluth.

The NLX Project would operate on approximately 152 miles of existing BNSF railway track.

The agencies prepared the Tier 2 Project Level EA document to meet federal and state environmental requirements to advance the NLX Project into further design and project development.

The Tier 2 Project Level EA document is available on the project website, www.mndot.gov/nlx, and at local government offices and libraries throughout the corridor. A list of locations to view the document is available below.

Written comments on the Tier 2 Project Level EA are due by May 24, 2017.

electricron wrote:How can they get away with calling the proposed Northern Lights train high speed rail (HSR) when it is using over 150 miles of BNSF tracks? 79 or 90 mph max speeds should not be called HSR, imho.

Note that MnDOT no longer calls NLX high speed rail, but “higher speed.” The news media hasn’t caught up with the new term, and I suspect many in the media or in the general public still imagine a bullet train.

mtuandrew wrote:Note that MnDOT no longer calls NLX high speed rail, but “higher speed.” The news media hasn’t caught up with the new term, and I suspect many in the media or in the general public still imagine a bullet train.

Catching up may take awhile--a news story the other day about Kim Jong Un's state visit to China reported that his special train "chugged" into the station in Beijing.

mtuandrew wrote:Note that MnDOT no longer calls NLX high speed rail, but “higher speed.” The news media hasn’t caught up with the new term, and I suspect many in the media or in the general public still imagine a bullet train.

Catching up may take awhile--a news story the other day about Kim Jong Un's state visit to China reported that his special train "chugged" into the station in Beijing.

I don't think they meant that literally. The media use all kinds of alternative phrases these days

As for high speed vs. higher speed I doubt the traveling public will care as long as the train meets the projected travel time and is reliable. Though considering how relatively straight the line is and that upgrades will need to be done anyway MNDOT probably is shooting for that top 90mph threshold as much as it can.

To be fair,that N Korea "presidental" train is Armour plated and SO HEAVY that the best speed is about 37 mph.There's an advance train,along with a supply/support train,that are Armour plated as well and are that fast to boot!